R.A. Dickey for me but I didn't realize just how dominant Kimbrel has been this year. Put him in a long relief role instead of closer and he'd be my choice for Cy Young assuming he would still be able to put up the numbers.

jfg wrote:R.A. Dickey for me but I didn't realize just how dominant Kimbrel has been this year. Put him in a long relief role instead of closer and he'd be my choice for Cy Young assuming he would still be able to put up the numbers.

Above a closer, yeah, but only if he can maintain his dominance over more innings. If you can take out a starter having a bad day in the 3rd inning and get 3-4 innings of lights out pitching to give the offense a chance to get back in the game that's pretty valuable. More valuable than one inning to close out the game which in most cases would have been won by anybody, and possibly more valuable than a bunch of really good seasons from starters, but not a really great season from anybody. It's all hypothetical of course, one of these seasons maybe a manager will use a dominant reliever in the long relief role.

jfg wrote:Above a closer, yeah, but only if he can maintain his dominance over more innings. If you can take out a starter having a bad day in the 3rd inning and get 3-4 innings of lights out pitching to give the offense a chance to get back in the game that's pretty valuable. More valuable than one inning to close out the game which in most cases would have been won by anybody, and possibly more valuable than a bunch of really good seasons from starters, but not a really great season from anybody. It's all hypothetical of course, one of these seasons maybe a manager will use a dominant reliever in the long relief role.

It doesn't matter who should get it between a long reliever or a closer. Neither should ever win it over a starter.

Closers can win it, and sometimes deserve it. This year, Kimbrel won't win it and doesn't deserve. He has, however, been disgustingly good, and given this years' crop, should fall into the top 5 without question.

Yes it was a crazy good year, but no way in hell did he deserve it over Prior or Schmidt or probably 5 other guys that year. Closers simply do not pitch enough innings to deserve it over dominant full time starters.